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« April 2007 |
| June 2007 »
May 31, 2007
Essex Academy to take on PCA Masters
Posted on 05/31/2007 in Essex
The Essex Academy will face the PCA Masters in a Twenty20 floodlit challenge match on Thursday June 14.
..The PCA Masters are playing six games against county academy sides this year but this is the only Twenty20 game," John Childs, the Essex Academy director, told the club's website. "There is no doubting, I believe, this is quite an exciting venture and we know that Twenty20 cricket stimulates the younger element who are not much younger or the same age as those who will be going out onto the field. On that basis they can watch and then perhaps have more self-belief in themselves to also want to get on the Academy. That for me is what it all boils down to.
..At the end of the summer once the PCA Masters have played against all the counties they will select one young player to go with them to Sri Lanka on their end-of-year tour - so that..s an added incentive for our players.
..The history of our Academy has shown that we have produced seven contracted players (Tony Palladino, Zoheb Sharif, Varun Chopra, Jahid Ahmed, Mervyn Westfield, Maurice Chambers, Tom Westley) and one England player (Alastair Cook) so it does show that the Academy does work and, looking at our Academy at the moment, without naming names, I would like to think there are two or three players there who are showing really great signs that they will be signing professional contracts in the not-too-distant future. It is acknowledged the people who support the County are always keen to see the future of the Club featuring home-grown Essex players and this remains our intention..
Play is scheduled to get underway at 7.00pm and admission will be free.
May 30, 2007
Hogg loaned to Worcestershire
Posted on 05/30/2007 in Worcestershire
Lancashire has agreed to loan Kyle Hogg, the allrounder, to Worcestershire. The four-week loan period will include four Friends Provident Trophy games, two Championship matches (against Surrey and Warwickshire) and some early matches in the Twenty 20 Cup.
Steven Rhodes, Worcestershire's director of cricket, said: "With the ongoing injury to Matt Mason and the latest injury to Roger Sillence, it seems a sensible and exciting move to loan a player of Kyle's undoubted ability to help us over the next month. He will be a natural replacement for Roger in our forthcoming Friends Provident Trophy matches against Durham and Warwickshire."
Continue reading "Hogg loaned to Worcestershire"
May 29, 2007
Meet Mark Butcher and win Twenty20 tickets
Posted on 05/29/2007 in Surrey
If you want the chance to meet Mark Ramprakash and Mark Butcher, and head to Surrey's Twenty20 match at the Oval against Hampshire on Sunday, June 24, then enter our competition.
Counties back Madeleine campaign
Posted on 05/29/2007 in Leicestershire
Leicestershire and Lancashire have teamed up to back a campaign to raise awareness of the search to find Madeleine McCann.
With no prospect of play in the Friends Provident Trophy match at Grace Road, the two teams donned special yellow and green Bands of Hope to support the fighting fund set up by the family.
Continue reading "Counties back Madeleine campaign"
May 25, 2007
Kruger becomes latest Kolpak
Posted on 05/25/2007 in Leicestershire
Leicestershire have signed South African paceman Garnett Kruger on a Kolpak deal as a replacement for Charl Langeveldt.
Three years ago Kruger was due to line up as an overseas player before injury meant he had to pull out.
..Not only did Charl do a good job for us, he was also a great influence on the younger bowlers around him,. Tim Boon told the club website. ..But he had a contract with Netherfield and he has to honour that agreement now.
..We are looking to Garnett to come in and do a similar job for us over the next couple of months, at which point we will review the situation..
Kruger has played three ODIs and a Twenty20 for South Africa and is Leicestershire..s second Kolpak signing in two weeks after they brought in Arno Jacobs to bolster the batting.
May 24, 2007
Steyn stays
Posted on 05/24/2007 in Warwickshire
Warwickshire have managed to extend Dale Steyn's time at the club until June 21st, meaning he will be available for two extra Friends Provident fixtures and an additional Championship fixture. If Warwickshire make it to the FP semi-finals he will also play before joining up with the South African squad in Ireland. Paul Harris, Steyn..s South African team-mate, will make his first appearance for Warwickshire in their opening Twenty20 match against Somerset.
Ramps in action
Posted on 05/24/2007 in Surrey
It..s Surrey..s Mark Ramprakash in action . but not as you may think!
May 23, 2007
Adam Hollioake considers Essex return
Posted on 05/23/2007 in Essex
Former Surrey captain Adam Hollioake, 35, is expected to hold talks with Essex next week about a possible return to county cricket in this year's Twenty20 Cup
Walker awarded benefit in 2008
Posted on 05/23/2007 in Kent
Kent have announced that Matthew Walker has been awarded a benefit for 2008. Walker, 33, joined the staff in 1992 and made his county debut in 1994, receiving his cap in 2000.
He captained England Under-19 to Pakistan in 1991-92 and still holds the record for the highest ever individual score by a Kent batsman at Canterbury (275 against Somerset in 1996).
May 21, 2007
Free entry for Cup Final
Posted on 05/21/2007 in Leicestershire
If you are in or around Leicester this week, then head down to Grace Road to catch the Intercontinental Cup final .. for free. That..s right. It..s your chance to see Canada (including John Davison) take on the reigning champions and World Cup heroes Ireland. The four-day match kicks off on Tuesday 22.
May 17, 2007
Leicesterhsire sign Arno Jacobs
Posted on 05/17/2007 in Leicestershire
Scotland have released batsman Arno Jacobs after Leicestershire offered him a contract until the end of the season. Jacobs, 30, has joined the county as a Kolpak player.
Tom Boon, Leicestershire's coach, said: ..We are very pleased to secure the services of Arno, one of South Africa's leading run-makers in domestic cricket in recent years. He will certainly add some experience to the top order. He will be a Kolpak signing but the club has taken the view that it is in the best interests of developing ..qualified for England.. players that they learn from experienced players, whatever their nationality..
May 15, 2007
Balcony scene at Lord's
Posted on 05/15/2007 in MCC
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Wherefore art thou, Romeo? Shakespeare comes to Lord's
© Graham Morris
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A Shakespeare production is set to be staged at Lord's, for the first time in its 220-year history.
If permission is granted, Romeo and Juliet will be performed on Sunday 2 September, in front of the pavilion. MCC expect 500 people to attend.
MCC's secretary and chief executive, Keith Bradshaw, said: "This is a great partnership between MCC and Shakespeare's Globe. It's a tremendous opportunity for us to stage a world-class Shakespeare production at Lord's. The feedback from local residents and MCC Members has already been tremendous. I'm optimistic that we'll get all the necessary go-aheads from the Council. If so, I'm sure we'll have a great success on our hands."
The troupe's director, Edward Dick, said: "Everyone at Shakespeare's Globe is already looking forward to hitting the road for the first time, and performing at great venues right across the country. It's what happened 400 years ago, when tours played a key role in the itineraries of Elizabethan acting companies. We're particularly excited by the prospect of performing at Lord's. It's always a great setting; I'm sure it would provide our first-ever tour with a fantastic finale."
Tickets cost £35 and £20 and will be on sale to local residents and MCC members only initially.
May 9, 2007
Bopara finds his form
Posted on 05/09/2007 in Universities
Ravi Bopara enjoyed useful time in the middle as he reached an unbeaten 61 with Essex making decent use of the time available between the rain against Cambridge UCCE at Fenners. Varun Chopra also hit a half century while Tim Phillips was bowled for 49.
No play was possible between Sussex and Cardiff UCCE at Hove.
Snell causes Cheltenham to be kicked out of cup
Posted on 05/09/2007 in Gloucestershire
Ivo Tennant in The Times reports that Cheltenham..s victory over Bromsgrove in the first round of the Cockspur Cup on April 30 has been overturned because they included Steve Snell, the Gloucestershire reserve wicketkeeper, in their side.
Snell broke the rules because he was over 23 .. contracted cricketers under that age can play if they have not taken part in any of the four major competitions that season .. and he scored a run-a-ball 108 as Cheltenham won by 38 runs.
May 8, 2007
Wright misses out on hundred
Posted on 05/08/2007 in Universities
Luke Wright fell seven short of a century for Sussex on a rain-hit opening day against Cardiff UCCE at Hove. The county had a sticky start but Wright cut loose during the evening session before being stumped
Dewald Nel bolsters Worcestershire
Posted on 05/08/2007 in Worcestershire
Scotland seamer Dewald Nel has joined Worcestershire for 10 days as cover for their injury-hit attack.
"Our seam bowling resources are severely stretched so we needed to find more cover," said director of cricket Steve Rhodes. "Dewald has played some 2nd XI cricket for us and has performed really well for Scotland this season."
Worcestershire's attack is down to the bare bones with Doug Bollinger (side and hip strain), Matt Mason (shoulder) and Nadeem Malik (shin problems) all out of action. Nel will be available for the Championship matches against Yorkshire and Lancashire.
May 6, 2007
Adil meets Shane
Posted on 05/06/2007 in Yorkshire
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Just 19, and already compared to Warne. "Just 708 Test wickets to go, then"
© Getty Images
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Andrew Longmore speaks to Martin Moxon in the Sunday Times about Yorkshire..s wonderfully gifted Adil Rashid. Moxon, Rashid..s coach, is determined to protect his young legspinner, concerned that media hype could affect his potential.
..That..s what we..re trying to do with Adil. To create pressure on the batsman, you need to land the leg-spinner consistently. That..s what I have been most pleased about: he has bowled consistent line and length while still spinning the ball..
So concerned are Yorkshire that the next Monty Panesar/Shane Warne/Mushtaq Ahmed (delete as applicable) should develop quietly and methodically through his first full season of county cricket that they have thrown a protective blanket around him reminiscent of Ryan Giggs in his early days at Old Trafford. Given the history of leg-spinning prodigies in England in recent decades, the policy is understandable, but it is probably unnecessary. Rashid can look after himself in the interview room as readily as he can on the field, and the more exposure he can get to the world he might be asked to inhabit sooner rather than later, the better prepared he will be.
Rashid also sought the counsel of Shane Warne, who he faced in Yorkshire..s Championship draw against Hampshire, when Moxon booked in an afternoon..s coaching in Warne..s back garden. But perhaps the most revealing comment comes from one of the batsman who faced Rashid:
..I can..t remember him [Rashid] bowling one rank bad ball,. says Michael Brown, whose second consecutive championship century kept Hampshire in the game. ..Traditionally this pitch hasn..t got a lot of bounce, but he gets more bounce than Warney. Yet his control was so good and he worked the pitch out pretty quickly, bowling a little slower. Usually with a leggie you can wait for the bad ball. Here it was a question of limiting your mode of dismissal and trying to rotate the strike. Warney is always on about that and how irritating it is for a bowler. I tried to work him into the covers or behind square on the leg side, but there were no balls to release the pressure. For a kid of 19 . . . .
May 5, 2007
Robinson: Sussex have no excuses
Posted on 05/05/2007 in Sussex
Mark Robinson, the director of cricket as Sussex, refuses to excuse his side - the Championship holders - for their poor start to the season.
..We have not played well as a team - it..s as simple as that. We have played on two average wickets, which is disappointing, but we haven..t bowled well enough or batted well enough.
..It is pretty simple really - we have let them get a hundred too many and we have been a hundred runs short in each innings with the bat.
..We have also suffered with injuries and we only have 13 fit players, but that is part of the game and we have to cope with that. We have no excuses..
More at the ECB.
May 4, 2007
Smokers banished from New Road
Posted on 05/04/2007 in Worcestershire
Smoking has been banned from all public areas of Worcestershire's county ground, New Road, in readiness for the nationwide ban in England this July. According to the BBC, "all buildings, walkways and seating areas at New Road are now smoke free, but smokers will still be accommodated in certain open areas".
Bird comes home to roost
Posted on 05/04/2007 in Yorkshire
Hold the back page .. Dickie Bird is making his umpiring comeback. Bird is turning out for a celebrity match organised by the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) at his home ground of Headingley. Let..s hope Sir Geoffrey doesn..t turn up or else there could be a real war of the white roses for the affections of Shilpa Shetty, who..s inevitably making an appearance.
And let..s hope also neither of them, nor star guest Amitabh Buchan, do a Richard Gere .. hmm, pleasant thought... The signs aren..t good, though. The press release expects the match to be ..action-packed and laced with its fair share of gags and sporting misdemeanours.. So there.
The IIFA celebrity team are captained by pin-up boy Saif Ali Khan, and includes Kapil Dev, Mohammed Azharuddin, Zayed Khan, Suneil Shetty, and Abhishek Bachchan. They will play a UK celebrity cricket team, again with a mix of as-yet-undisclosed players and celebrities.
Tickets are more expensive than for any county game, though .. at £22 for adults and £12 for children .. but it..s all for a good cause. The match takes place on Friday 8 June.
May 1, 2007
Price reprimanded
Posted on 05/01/2007 in Worcestershire
Ray Price, the Worcestershire left-arm spinner, has received a reprimand under the ECB..s discipline code following an incident during Worcestershire..s second eleven Championship match against MCC Young Cricketers between April 24 and 26.
Price was reported by umpires John Holder and Roger Tolchard for a level one breach of the code, which relates to abuse of cricket ground, equipment or fixtures/fittings.
The penalty remains on Price..s record for a period of two years. Any further level one breach during that period will result in an automatic three penalty points.
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